1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for trimming and shaping and scuffing the tips of the billiard and pool sticks.
2. Prior Art
Billiards is an indoor game played on a rectangular table covered with felt. Players drive plastic balls against one another with a wooden stick called a cue. The cue has a leather tip which strikes the plastic balls. Billiards may refer to two different games, one including billiards which is often called pool, and the billiards game itself. In a game of pool, a white cue ball is used to drive a number of colored object balls, usually fifteen, into pockets at the edge of the table. In billiards, only three balls are used, two object balls being hit by one cue ball. The primary equipment for this game is a cue, which is typically made of a high-quality ash or maple wood, and may range up to about 57 inches in length. Such a cue or stick, has a tip, typically made of leather. The tip may be of hemispherical configuration. Striking the ball and hitting it to move in the desired direction is the critical requirement of these games. Slippage or sliding of the ball relative to the cue tip will certainly affect the path of the ball. Chalk is typically rubbed on the cue tip to prevent the cue from slipping off of the ball and spoiling a shot. During use, the cue tip may become worn or mis-figured. Sophisticated players will reshape the cue tip during a game to ensure the accuracy of their striking of the tip against a ball.
A variety of devices have been devised for shaping of the tip of a cue stick. One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,160 to Porper. The device disclosed in Porper is a cue tip shaping tool comprising a multi purpose tip preparer with a number of manipulable attachments therewith, which altogether, is rather complicated.
A further cue tip shaper is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,187 to Cain. This device comprises an elongated housing which is further complicated by a chalk applicator therewith. U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,618 to Lynn shows a generally cylindrically shaped cue tip shaper having the ability to receive a different cue stick at each end of the housing. This shaper also however, requires the use of a curved blade within its housing. Blades have to be replaced after they've been used several times, adding to the disadvantage of possible misalignment.
A similar condition exists in U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,350 to Porper, showing a trimming and shaping tool, which also utilizes a blade. This apparatus as well, requires the changing of a blade after several uses, adding to its complicated nature.
These exemplary prior art devices are somewhat complicated, and fail to have the ability to adapt themselves properly to any variation in cue stick tip diameter.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a cue tip shaper apparatus which will accommodate a multiplicity of cue stick tip diameters.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cue stick tip shaper which will improve the accuracy of the cue and make the tip readily consistent.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cue stick tip shaper which will improve the consistency of the ball striking and will minimize the necessity of changing tips as often as the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tip shaper which will keep the cue sticks in proper alignment during the shaping operation and shape those tips properly relative to the cue stick.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cue stick tip shaper which is usable on all shaft sizes, for example 10 mm to 14 mm. It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a cue stick tip shaper which will generate less heat during the shaping and scuffing operation, thus minimizing the de-layering of laminated tips.